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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28437924">Talking Over The Wire</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Philosopher_King/pseuds/Philosopher_King'>Philosopher_King</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Spy Who Came In from the Cold [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Trek: Deep Space Nine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Conversations, Dialogue-Only, Double Drabble, M/M, Post-Episode: s02e22 The Wire, Quadruple Drabble, Triple Drabble, Vignette</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-03</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:54:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,000</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28437924</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Philosopher_King/pseuds/Philosopher_King</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Julian Bashir's conversations with fellow inhabitants of Deep Space Nine after the events of "The Wire" (dialogue only).</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Julian Bashir &amp; Benjamin Sisko, Julian Bashir &amp; Jadzia Dax, Julian Bashir/Elim Garak</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Spy Who Came In from the Cold [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2163039</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>57</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>120</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Commander Sisko</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I couldn't fit these into 100 words, but I decided to make them low-ish multiples of 100.</p>
    </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>300 words (a "tribble")</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You wanted to see me, Commander?”</p><p>“Sit down, Doctor Bashir.”</p><p>“Is everything all right?”</p><p>“Everything except your head, apparently.”</p><p>“Sir?”</p><p>“You took a runabout into Cardassian space—unauthorized, unannounced—and came back with the information to replicate Cardassian leukocytes.”</p><p>“I needed it to—”</p><p>“To save the life of Garak the tailor. I’m aware. Tell me, Doctor: would you risk your own life to save any patient—any <em>single </em>patient?”</p><p>“I— I suppose it depends on the circumstances.”</p><p>“On whether you have a personal connection to the patient?”</p><p>“What? Of course not!”</p><p>“Then what circumstances of this case led you to take such a reckless risk to yourself, without the approval of your commanding officer?”</p><p>“I was… fairly confident that I would be successful.”</p><p>“Based on what?”</p><p>“On things that Garak told me.”</p><p>“I thought he didn’t <em>tell </em>you anything, and you had to deduce his meaning.”</p><p>“That’s… still mostly true.”</p><p>“So you risked your life based on what you <em>deduced </em>from things that Garak told you. A former agent of the Obsidian Order and a fluent liar.”</p><p>“Yes, Sir.”</p><p>“I hope you have some grasp of how appallingly foolish your actions were.”</p><p>“If I may… Garak may not always tell the truth, but when he wants me to deduce something and act on that basis, he has never steered me wrong.”</p><p>“And he wanted you to <em>deduce </em>how you could obtain the information to save his life?”</p><p>“Maybe. He was being less obvious about it than usual, but… I think he was leaving a trail of breadcrumbs, so to speak.”</p><p>“Right to the witch’s house, if I understand exactly <em>where </em>you went.”</p><p>“I didn’t get eaten.”</p><p>“Do not take your <em>very fortunate </em>escape as encouragement to pull a stunt like this again. Dismissed, Doctor.”</p><p>“Of course not. Thank you, Sir.”</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Jadzia Dax</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>600 words (a double tribble?)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“I did a very stupid thing.”</p><p>“‘In other words, it was a normal Thursday.’”</p><p>“Jadzia…”</p><p>“Sorry. What stupid thing did you do?”</p><p>“I took a runabout into Cardassian space—”</p><p>“—to find out how to replicate Cardassian leukocytes to save Garak’s life.”</p><p>“Sisko told you?”</p><p>“If by ‘told me’ you mean ‘ranted at me about it for fifteen minutes,’ yes.”</p><p>“Did he tell you exactly where I went?”</p><p>“To see the former head of the Obsidian Order, apparently.”</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>“Are you going to tell me <em>why </em>you did something so colossally stupid?”</p><p>“Well, I knew that most Cardassians wouldn’t be willing to share that kind of information—and it probably wouldn’t make a difference if I said it was to save Garak; in fact, it would probably make any associates of Gul Dukat <em>less </em>forthcoming. But Garak told me he used to be the protégé of Enabran Tain—that’s the—”</p><p>“The former head of the Obsidian Order.”</p><p>“Right. And he <em>happened </em>to mention that Tain had moved to the Arawath Colony. I didn’t think he’d have been so specific if he didn’t think Tain would be willing to help him.”</p><p>“All right, that’s why you thought going to Tain specifically would get you the information. But it still doesn’t explain why you were motivated to go.”</p><p>“Garak was my patient.”</p><p>“And you’d put yourself in that much danger to save any patient…?”</p><p>“…probably not.”</p><p>“That’s good to hear. Seems like a very inefficient way to practice medicine.”</p><p>“Jadzia, I have… a problem.”</p><p>“Seems to me that it doesn’t <em>have </em>to be a problem.”</p><p>“How’s that?”</p><p>“Does Garak feel the same way about you?”</p><p>“What, that he’d risk his life to save mine?”</p><p>“Let’s start with whether he wants to fuck you.”</p><p>“Jadzia!”</p><p>“Oh, come on. We both know what this is about. Does he?”</p><p>“How should I know?”</p><p>“Why don’t you ask?”</p><p>“I can’t just come out and <em>ask </em>him whether he wants to fuck.”</p><p>“Why not? You’ve never had a problem with it before.”</p><p>“I didn’t—”</p><p>“Not in so many words, but the message was clear. Why the sudden shyness? Because it’s another man?”</p><p>“No! Because—he’s Cardassian.”</p><p>“So?”</p><p>“Cardassians have these complicated rules of politeness, all these <em>rituals </em>around everything. Everything you say also means something else. Being so straightforward, so— so crass, it’s unheard of.”</p><p>“Garak knows you’re not Cardassian. Maybe he’d be into it.”</p><p>“But what if he’s not? I don’t want to mess this up.”</p><p>“Sounds like it’s really important to you… more important than I was.”</p><p>“It’s not that it’s more important to—you know, get involved; it’s that we have a friendship already, and I don’t want to lose that.”</p><p>“Hmm. Can you get any tips from all that Cardassian literature you’ve been discussing over lunch?”</p><p>“Not any that would be useful nowadays. It’s all classics written centuries ago. It would be like… an alien reading Jane Austen and concluding that humans can only meet potential mates at balls, or through formal introductions, and you have to write long elegant letters…”</p><p>“I get the idea. First things first: do Cardassians permit same-sex relationships?”</p><p>“Apparently they did five centuries ago, and those works haven’t been banned, so… probably?”</p><p>“That’s a start. So, could you ask for examples of more recent literature? To understand the contemporary culture better, of course. Maybe something popular. Everyone loves a romance…”</p><p>“That’s… yes, that might work. Thank you, Jadzia.”</p><p>“Always glad to help out a friend.”</p><p>“And please, <em>not a word </em>about this to Sisko, or Kira, or anyone.”</p><p>“I’m sworn to silence… on one condition.”</p><p>“What?”</p><p>“Keep me updated?”</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Major Kira</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>200 words (a drubble... with tribbles!)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Major Kira. What brings you to the infirmary?”</p><p>“You’re an idiot.”</p><p>“Yes, so I’ve been told.”</p><p>“You risked getting yourself killed by the Cardassians, to save a Cardassian.”</p><p>“To save a <em>patient</em>.”</p><p>“A patient who’s tortured and murdered Prophets know how many people. Bajorans <em>and </em>Cardassians.”</p><p>“None of that matters when he’s a patient. A life is a life, no matter how tarnished.”</p><p>“Amazing. You’ve really swallowed the Federation line whole, haven’t you? Next you’ll be telling me you ‘don’t see species.’”</p><p>“On the contrary, species is very salient to me. That’s why I needed to go to the Cardassian System in the first place.”</p><p>“That’s all it is to you—anatomical differences.”</p><p>“I also try to respect my patients’ cultural commitments.”</p><p>“Of course you do.”</p><p>“Did you just come by to tell me I’m an idiot, or was there anything else?”</p><p>“Yes. Don’t expect gratitude for what you did. Cardassians don’t understand gratitude, or loyalty to anything but ‘the State.’”</p><p>“I didn’t go into medicine for the promise of my patients’ gratitude.”</p><p>“He’s not your friend, Doctor. Remember that. You’re prey that he’s toying with before he eats it.”</p><p>“Well, then, I’ll keep a close watch on his mouth.”</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Constable Odo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>400 words (double drubble, toil and... never mind)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Constable. Have you come to tell me I’m an idiot?”</p><p>“No. Should I?”</p><p>“Probably, but we can skip the formalities. I’ll consider it said.”</p><p>“If you say so.”</p><p>“What <em>did </em>you come to see me about?”</p><p>“I’d like to ask a favor of you.”</p><p>“What kind of favor?”</p><p>“I understand you’ve become quite close with Garak.”</p><p>“I’m not going to interrogate him for you.”</p><p>“I didn’t expect you to. I was wondering if you’d be willing to wear a small recording device.”</p><p>“I beg your pardon?”</p><p>“It’s useless putting surveillance devices in his shop or his quarters; he always finds and disables them. And the devices in Quark’s and the Replimat aren’t designed to pick up specific patrons’ conversations. But if his most frequent conversation partner were to wear such a device…”</p><p>“I’m not going to help you <em>spy on Garak</em>.”</p><p>“Why not? It’s been confirmed that he was in the Obsidian Order—and we <em>know </em>he’s still passing information to contacts on Cardassia.”</p><p>“Because it would be an appalling betrayal of trust.”</p><p>“<em>What</em> trust? Garak doesn’t trust anyone, and he surely knows better than to expect anyone will trust <em>him</em>.”</p><p>“Then he’s probably expecting you to do something like that anyway, and won’t say anything he wouldn’t want you to record.”</p><p>“Perhaps. Still, you’ve been able to pick up quite a lot from what he <em>does </em>say. If I had a record of all of it…”</p><p>“No.”</p><p>“Doctor, this may be my only way to learn a <em>fraction</em> of what he knows.”</p><p>“No! If I have even the <em>slightest </em>chance of earning his trust, I’m not throwing it away.”</p><p>“The device could be very effectively concealed in clothing. Garak may be suspicious, but he’s not so discourteous as to strip-search his lunch companion.”</p><p>“But he might persuade me to try on a new suit…”</p><p>“Ah. Well, you can always—”</p><p>“Forget it, Odo. I want to <em>earn </em>his trust, not just acquire it.”</p><p> “You might earn his <em>respect </em>by learning to play his game.”</p><p>“Maybe <em>you</em> should start having lunch with him. He loves a good argument.”</p><p>“I don’t eat.”</p><p>“So much the better. You won’t have to stop arguing to chew.”</p><p>“Do you and Garak ever stop arguing to chew?”</p><p>“Come to think of it, not really. Thanks for stopping by, but the answer is no.”</p><p>“At least <em>consider </em>my request.”</p><p>“I’ve considered it: no. Good day, Constable.”</p><p>“Hmph.”</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Quark</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>200 words</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Synthale.”</p><p>“You look like you could use something a little stronger.”</p><p>“Maybe, but I also have an early shift tomorrow.”</p><p>“Too bad.”</p><p>“Mm.”</p><p>“I hear you might be in the market for information about Cardassian physiology.”</p><p>“Excuse me?!”</p><p>“Careful—I know you Hu-mans have trouble keeping your digestive and respiratory systems straight.”</p><p>“Only when we’re surprised. Water?”</p><p>“That’ll be two slips… waived, just for you. Next time you need information you should come to me. No need for heroic suicide missions into hostile territory.”</p><p>“And you just happen to have detailed information on the structure and molecular composition of specialized Cardassian cells, do you?”</p><p>“Well, no. But I do have access to… other physiological information.”</p><p>“Of course you do.”</p><p>“So if you ever need material for… research…”</p><p>“I’m not interested in that kind of research.”</p><p>“That’s not what I hear.”</p><p>“Where have you heard that?”</p><p>“It’s bad business to reveal my sources.”</p><p>“Ugh, don’t bother, I think I know.”</p><p>“Let’s just say it’s been confirmed through several channels.”</p><p>“You really can’t trust anyone.”</p><p>“Ninety-ninth Rule of Acquisition. So, are you interested?”</p><p>“Even if I were, I wouldn’t buy it from you.”</p><p>“I’m wounded.”</p><p>“My professional opinion is that you’ll live.”</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>According to <a href="https://memory-beta.fandom.com/wiki/Ferengi_Rules_of_Acquisition">Memory Beta</a>, the Ninety-ninth Rule of Acquisition is "Trust is the biggest liability of all."</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Jadzia, round 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>300 words</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“You told Quark?! I said not to tell <em>anyone!”</em></p><p>“Of course I didn’t! You really trust me so little?”</p><p>“I’ve been taking lessons from Garak.”</p><p>“Evidently.”</p><p>“Then how <em>did</em> Quark find out?”</p><p>“What did he find out, exactly?”</p><p>“He’d heard I was ‘in the market for information on Cardassian physiology.’”</p><p>“He does have good ears. Maybe he overheard Benjamin ranting yesterday.”</p><p>“He was also quite clear about the <em>kind</em> of information on offer.”</p><p>“He can draw an inference as well as anyone… better than most.”</p><p>“An <em>inference?”</em></p><p>“Think about it, Julian. You don’t risk your life to save someone you have lunch with once a week… unless you have <em>other </em>feelings for them.”</p><p>“People risk their lives for their friends!”</p><p>“Their lunch-once-a-week friends…?”</p><p>“Fuck. Does everyone know? Does Kira?”</p><p>“I’m pretty sure Kira thinks you’re straight… she lacks Quark’s imagination.”</p><p>“And Sisko?”</p><p>“Doesn’t want to think about what any of his officers do in bed, as long as it doesn’t threaten their safety… directly or indirectly.”</p><p>“Uh. Right. What about Odo?”</p><p>“If you do hope to start anything, it’s only a matter of time. But he cares even less than Sisko does, as long as you’re not endangering station security.”</p><p>“He wanted me to wear a recording device while meeting with Garak.”</p><p>“Well, that could certainly get awkward if clothes come off…”</p><p>“How do I know Quark won’t tell the whole station?”</p><p>“Thirtieth Rule of Acquisition: ‘Confidentiality equals profit.’ You can’t leverage information that’s freely available.”</p><p>“How the hell do you know that?”</p><p>“The same way I know how to play Tongo. Curzon loved the straightforwardness of Klingons and Ferengi.”</p><p>“Both would be profoundly offended to hear themselves compared that way.”</p><p>“Wouldn’t they just?”</p><p>“Thank you, Jadzia. You’re a good friend.”</p><p>“I am. Now, aren’t you sorry for mistrusting me?”</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I decided 2000 words was a nice round number to finish off with.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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